Railway tie and clamp



(No Model.)

P. KESHNBR an H. LAUX.

RAILWAY TIE AND CLAMP N0. 568,619. Patented Sept. 29, '1896.

ATTORNEYS.

, UNITED STATES ATENT Prien.

PETER KESHNER AND HENRY LAUX, OF CARLYLE, ILLINOIS.

RAILWAY TIE AND CLAMP.

SPCFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 568,619, dated September 29, 1896.

Application led May 15, 1896. Serial No. 591,612. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, PETER KEsHNER and HENRY LAUX, of Carlyle, in the county of Clinton and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Ties and Clamps, of which the following is a full, clear, .and exact description.

This invention relates to ties and clamps for the rails of railways, and the object is to provide a tie and clamp of simplicity, durability, and comparative cheapness, and in which the clamp is interchangeable or adapted for use on either side of a rail.

We will describe a tie and clamp embodying our invention, and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding` parts in all the iigures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tie and clamp embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a clamp.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the metal tie of semicylindrical form and having outwardly-extending base-anges 2 at its sides and which form a solid foundation and prevent the tie from sinking into the roadbed. The tie is preferably formed of thin plate-steel and it is open at its ends, so that a filling 3, of dirt or other material7 may be introduced, and thus make a practically solid tie.

.The rail-clamp comprises a body portion et, curved on its inner surface to t snugly against the tie, and provided on its upper side with ajaw 5, adapted to engage over the base-flange of a rail and to engage its end with a portion of the rail-web, as plainly shown in the drawings. The clamp has an outwardly-extended base-liange 6, adapted to bear upon the flange 2 of the tie and also to engage over and against the edge of said tie-liange.

In use a clamp is placed at each side of the tie and engaging with opposite sides of the rail, and the two clamps of a pair are secured rigidly in place by means of bolts 7, which pass through the body portions of the clamps and transversely through the tie, and preferably the clamps will be provided with recesses to receive the heads of the bolts, so as to prevent turning when the nuts are screwed on. The holes through the clamps may be slightly elongated to allow of adjustment with relation to the width of a rail-flange.

The clamps are extended in such manner as to engage a portion of their upper sides against the bottom of a rail, and thus the clamps are designed to support the rail vertically as well as to secure it. laterally. The upper side of the tie is transversely depressed to form a level seat for 'the rail, as indicated at S, and this level portion 8 is on a plane with the top portions of the clamps with which the rail engages.

It will be seen that the clamps and bolts will prevent any lateral spreading of a tie, and that as the clamps are all of like construction they can be used at either side of a rail.

If desired, holes may be made through the flanges 6 of the clamps, so that they can be boltedto wood or metal on elevated roads or structures or bridges; and, further, it is obvious that by a slight modification in form the clamps may be adapted for use with square wooden ties.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent* l. .The combination with a railway -tie, curved in cross-section and having its anges of a rail-clamp having its inner surface conformed to the tie and havinga jaw to engage a rail, and also having a ange for engaging the top and edge of the tie-ange, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with a semicylindrical metal tie, having base-anges and flat or depressed portions, of rail-clamps having a body portion conformed to the curve of the tie and having flanges to engage the tops and edges of the tie-flanges,substantially as specified.

a. The combination witha semicylindrical ICO clamps to engage over the flanges of the JLieoutwardly-extending iiange passing over and Einiges, and the fastening-bolts, substantially bem-ing down upon the iizinge of the tie, sub- Io as specified. stmitially as described.

i. A railway-tie having an outnairdiyex- PETER KESIINER. tending bnsed'ian ge and :L mii-Clamp secured HENRY LAUX. to one side of the nie and having :Lt its upper XVinCSSeS: portion a jaw capable of engaging the base- NVILLIAM JOHNSTON, flange of the rail and at its lower portion an E. P. KESHNER. 

